Verbena plant named ‘VEAZ0006’

ABSTRACT

A new  Verbena  plant named ‘VEAZ0006’ particularly distinguished by the large bold red-purple colored flowers with a white and greenish eye, nice upright habit and well branched growth.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed:Verbena×hybrida.

Varietal denomination: ‘VEAZ0006’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new Verbena, botanically known asVerbena×hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the variety name‘VEAZ0006’.

‘VEAZ0006’ is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivarhas large bold red-purple colored flowers with a white and greenish eye,nice upright habit and well branched growth.

‘VEAZ0006’ originated from a cross pollinated hybridization made in thesummer of 2007 in a controlled breeding environment in Gilroy, Calif.,USA. The female parent was the unpatented, proprietary plant designated‘2043-1’ with lavender pink flowers with a white eye, later floweringand less vigor.

The male parent of ‘VEAZ0006’ was ‘Lan Upbriro’, U.S. Plant Pat. No.20,709, with deep rose flowers with no white eye, less seed set andsmaller flowers. The resultant seed was sown in January 2008.

‘VEAZ0006’ was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of thestated cross in April 2008 in a controlled environment in Gilroy,Calif., USA.

The first act of asexual reproduction of ‘VEAZ0006’ was accomplishedwhen vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection inApril 2008 in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif., USA.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF INVENTION

Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plantinitiated in April 2008, and continuing thereafter, has demonstratedthat the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for‘VEAZ0006’ are firmly fixed and are retained through successivegenerations of asexual reproduction.

‘VEAZ0006’ has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations inenvironment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.

A Plant Breeder's Right for this cultivar was applied for in Canada onDec. 24, 2010, #10-7146. ‘VEAZ0006’ has not been made publicly availablemore than one year prior to the filing of this application.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe basic characteristics of the new variety. The combination of thesecharacteristics distinguishes this Verbena as a new and distinctvariety.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographic drawings show typical flower and foliagecharacteristics of ‘VEAZ0006’ with colors being as true as possible withan illustration of this type. The photographic drawing shows in FIG. 1.a flowering plant of the new variety, and in FIG. 2. a close-up of theflowers.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs were taken in April 2010 from plantsgrown in a greenhouse trial in Enkhuizen, The Netherlands. These plantswere growing in 12 cm pots and were approximately 12 weeks of age. Theclose-up photograph was taken in April 2011 in Gilroy, Calif. Plantswere about 9-11 weeks of age, grown in a greenhouse breeder's trial.

The plant descriptions and measurements were taken in May 2011 inEnkhuizen, The Netherlands on about 13 week old plants that had beenplanted into 12 cm pots and were grown on benches in a greenhouse at aminimum temperature (heating temperature) of 12° C. From April on, aminimum night temperature of 8° C. was held, while day temperatures weremuch higher, depending on outdoor temperature

Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.) 2001.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW VARIETY ‘VEAZ0006’ AND A SIMILARVARIETY ‘Lan Upbriro’ (U.S. ‘VEAZ0006’ Plant Pat. No. 20,709) Seed set:More seed set Less seed set Flower size: Larger Smaller Flower color:Rose with white eye Deep Rose

-   Plant:    -   -   Form, growth and habit.—Herbaceous, upright habit, well            branched.        -   Plant height.—About 19.0 cm.        -   Plant height (inflorescence included).—About 26.0 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 24.0 cm.-   Roots:    -   -   Number of days to initiate and produce roots.—About 10-14            days at about 22 degrees C.        -   Type.—Fine, fibrous, free branching.        -   Color.—RHS N155B.-   Foliage:    -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Immature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 137C.        -   Lower surface.—Between RHS 138B and RHS 138C.        -   Mature, leaf color, upper surface.—RHS 137C.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 137D.        -   Length.—5.0 cm.        -   Width.—3.6 cm.        -   Shape.—Ovate.        -   Base shape.—Attenuate.        -   Apex shape.—Apiculate.        -   Margin.—Dentate, pinnatifid.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Short hair.        -   Lower surface.—Short, stiff hair mainly along the veins;            some glandular hairs.        -   Color of veins, upper surface.—RHS 143C.        -   Color of veins, lower surface.—RHS 143D.        -   Petiole color.—RHS 145B; with RHS 145C on the under side.        -   Length.—0.9 cm.        -   Diameter.—0.4 cm.        -   Texture.—Hirtellous.-   Stem:    -   -   Characteristics.—Side branches develop potentially at every            node.        -   Color of stem.—RHS 143C.        -   Length of stem.—Approximately 17.0-20. cm.        -   Diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Length of internodes.—Approximately 2.5-3.0 cm.        -   Texture.—Rough; densely covered with hair; hirsute.        -   Color of peduncle.—RHS 143C.        -   Length of peduncle.—Most often 2.5-5.0 cm.        -   Peduncle diameter.—0.2 cm.        -   Texture.—Rough, densely covered with short glandular hair;            hirtellous.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Umbel-like, but actually a spike, umbrella-shaped to            roughly semi-spherical.        -   Blooming habit.—Flowers continuously.        -   Quantity of inflorescences per plant.—16.        -   Lastingness of individual blooms on the plant.—New florets            continue to open in one spike over a period of 14 days in            the greenhouse.        -   Fragrance.—None.        -   Inflorescence horizontal diameter.—6.5 cm.        -   Inflorescence depth (height).—3.5 cm.        -   Quantity of flowers and buds per inflorescence.—18-28.-   Bud (just when starting to show color):    -   -   Color.—RHS 68B.        -   Length.—2.5 cm.        -   Width.—1.0 cm.        -   Shape.—Mainly tube-shaped with a bulbous end.-   Floret:    -   -   Form and type.—Sessile; salverform, composed of 5 partly            fused petals with a base of a narrow tube.        -   Immature color, upper surface.—RHS N66A to RHS N77B in the            center.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 72C.        -   Mature color, upper surface.—RHS N66A to RHS N77B in the            center.        -   Lower surface.—RHS 72C.        -   Eye size.—0.4-0.5 cm.        -   Eye color.—RHS 155D but white with RHS 157C to RHS154D at            the corolla opening.        -   Floret diameter.—2.5 cm.        -   Floret depth.—1.4-2.0 cm.        -   Length of petals.—1.2 cm.        -   Width of petals.—1.1 cm.        -   Petal shape.—Obcordate.        -   Apex shape.—Emarginate.        -   Margin.—Entire.        -   Petal texture, upper surface.—Smooth and glabrous.        -   Lower surface.—Smooth and glabrous.        -   Corolla tube length.—1.4-2.0 cm.        -   Tube color outside.—RHS 145D.        -   Corolla texture, inside.—Glabrous.        -   Outside.—Glabrous basally; glandular hairs at the flare.-   Calyx:    -   -   Type.—Five sepals whose margins are fused to each other            along their length, with a transparent membrane of less than            0.1 cm in width and with one smaller sepal attached to the            base of the calyx.        -   Color of sepals.—RHS 143C.        -   Length of sepals.—1.5 cm.        -   Width of sepals.—0.2 cm.        -   Sepal shape.—Linear.        -   Apex shape.—Acute.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Texture.—Densely covered with short hair.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Pistil.—1.        -   Length.—1.5 cm.        -   Style color.—RHS 144D.        -   Style length.—1.4 cm.        -   Stigma color.—RHS 144A.        -   Stamens.—Anthers and filaments fused to upper half of            corolla tube; four anthers with two pollen sacs per anther.        -   Color of filaments.—RHS 150D to RHD 155B.        -   Length filaments.—0.1 cm.        -   Anther color.—RHS 1B.        -   Length of anthers.—0.1-0.15 cm.        -   Color of pollen.—RHS 2A.        -   Pollen amount.—Moderate.        -   Fertility/seed set.—Moderate.        -   Disease/pest resistance.—Has not been observed on this            hybrid.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct variety of Verbena plant named‘VEAZ0006’ substantially as illustrated and described herein.